Christopher Morley

Born in Pennsylvania in 1890, Christopher Morley grew up in a literary and academic household and went on to study at Haverford College before attending Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He became known as a remarkably versatile American writer—working as a novelist, essayist, poet, journalist, and editor—with a style often praised for its wit, energy, and affection for books and readers.

Morley wrote prolifically across many forms, and his best-known fiction includes Parnassus on Wheels and its sequel The Haunted Bookshop. Beyond his books, he was also an important figure in American literary culture, helping found The Saturday Review of Literature and contributing to the lively world of publishing and criticism in the first half of the 20th century.

He died in 1957, but his work still appeals to readers who enjoy smart, humane writing with humor and heart. His essays and novels have an easy companionship to them, as if a deeply well-read friend were inviting you into a conversation about literature, daily life, and the pleasures of curiosity.